February 26, 2010 – We finish off the 3 part series of 10 Things about Costa Rica That Your Real Estate Agent or the Costa Rican Board of Tourism Don’t Want You to Know, by going into.

9. There IS corruption in Costa Rica. Two of the country’s past presidents have been indicted on corruption charges. Much of the corruption is simply accepted as a way of life and of doing business.

And, even though corruption is publically denounced, nearly every Tico will take advantage of the system in small ways. (Examples: avoiding sales tax is almost a national pastime here and if you ask a Tico if he or she pays personal taxes you will invariably get a blank look that means “taxes? Me?”)

10. This last item may seem basic and self explanatory but Costa Rica is NOT a paradise or a Disneyworld. Many of us visit Costa Rica and we see a minuscule part of the country and we assume that life here will be like that.

There IS crime in Costa Rica...there IS pollution...and there are vast cultural differences. The longer you are here, the more things you will see that you DO NOT like. The roads in places are horrible...there are problems with illegal aliens (much the same as those that exist in the States)...and sometimes the infrastructure problems can be maddening.

DO NOT COME TO COSTA RICA EXPECTING PERFECTION.

It is also important to remember how truly small Costa Rica really is. For all of its diversity and seemingly endless beauty, Costa Rica is smaller than most of the individual States in the United States or Canada.

So it is important to remember that inasmuch as we “outsiders” want better infrastructure, better “this” and better “that”, the money simply is not there...and Costa Rica is still a second world country...

SO in summary...

Come to Costa Rica with your eyes open. We came here feeling confident that we knew nearly “everything” about Costa Rica because we spent literally hundreds of hours on the internet. We thought there would be very few surprises.

After years of life in Costa Rica, we are still not disappointed with our decision and we do not regret a day that goes by. We feel blessed beyond belief.

The reasons that we left and chose Costa Rica are just as valid today as they were when we first arrived here...the diversity, the lower cost of living, the fantastic medical system, and affordability...and of course, the beauty that is still uniquely Costa Rica. All are still true.

Most can abide the negatives when balanced with the positives. Many of us see the glass a half full instead of half empty. And yet we still see, almost weekly, those that cannot live here because they cannot adjust.

We are aware that these “negatives” or “truths” will create some controversy. Whenever we point out negatives about Costa Rica we receive criticism. But we would rather point out the negatives AND the positives and have everyone make informed decisions.

So...come to Costa Rica...with your eyes open...and then make your decisions about whether Costa Rica is right for you and whether to buy a home in Costa Rica.

Randy and Rhonda Berg have been living in Costa Rica for over 7 years and have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to buying a home in Costa Rica. You can contact them at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it